


Fashion

by Crazy_dreamer95



Category: Teenage Bounty Hunters (TV)
Genre: F/F, The beginning of some sort of friendship, or at least an understanding, womxn supporting womxn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:14:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29405364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazy_dreamer95/pseuds/Crazy_dreamer95
Summary: Whoever designed the Willingham uniform was obviously a male. No woman would ever choose beige for the colour of a skirt.Light colours stain so easily after all.
Relationships: April Stevens/Sterling Wesley
Kudos: 40





	Fashion

Whoever designed the Willingham Academy uniform was obviously a male. No woman would ever design a school uniform for teenagers with a light beige coloured skirt. First of all – beige. Nobody looks half decent in beige. It shows every drop of sweat in the summer. Sterling had honestly lost count of how many arse crack sweat marks she had seen over the years. The material was too starchy, you could barely move in the darn things. Every girl had to keep their legs tightly closed together – which for a religious school wasn’t a bad thing. But for everyday movement and comfort, it was a terrible thing. If you were running late for class, good luck getting anywhere fast in those pencil skirts without it riding up and showing the entire school your bum. Also, good luck if you were on the bottom locker. Your squats and quad control had to be on point to get down there safely without tipping over. That was something that the girls at Willingham had to master quickly.

Sterling had her mother cut a slit up the back of her skirt in the eighth grade so her long legs could move a little faster and easier when she walked. She noticed that April had also gotten her mother to do the same. They were rather alike in that way. Both girls thinking of ways to work within a system that was constraining and controlling.

Blair was always seen as the rebel. She was the more outspoken and outwardly rebellious twin after all. However, Sterling definitely considered herself to be rebellious, just in a far less noticeable way. For example, one time Sterling didn’t wear her uniform white socks to school. One time she wore a bright pink pair with cacti on them. Yeah. She could be rebellious too.

April could be rebellious as well. Sterling knew this because one time April was sitting across from her in Fellowship and she crossed her legs, causing her pants to ride up revealing a pair of bright green socks with pugs on them.

Their similar sense of humour and rebellious tendencies was probably what drew them together as friends in the first place. Despite their very different, and often conflicting personalities, they had very obvious similarities as well. Both girls were very passionate about human rights, were very strong willed and independent, and were masters of keeping their cool in stressful situations. (They were also brilliant at jumping to conclusions and not communicating effectively but that’s another story for another day).

It’s why despite the fact that they are sworn enemies, Sterling finds herself following very closely behind April trying to find the courage to tap her on the shoulder and tell her about the mark on the back of her skirt.

It definitely wasn’t for lack of trying, it’s just that April is super intimidating and that’s saying something because Sterling is a bounty hunter and is super fearless.

(At least that’s what Sterling tells herself on the regular so then she doesn’t wee a little every time they’re on a job).

All year Sterling had sat behind April in Spanish. At the end of class Blair had rushed out in a hurry, claiming that she had to get to gym before Stacey. Apparently, Stacey would always take the newer set of goalies protection gear and according the Blair that was just “not on”, because the old pair smell “worse than a mouldy sandwich you throw into the back of your locker and find at the end of the year.”

So, Sterling takes her time to gather her study materials and pack her bag. She’s silently contemplating whether or not to sign up for karate so she can learn to control her limbs a little better, when April stands up. Sterling could admit that she had admired April’s firm arse on a few occasions (which was completely normal because it was possible to admire the female form, definitely normal. And April’s female form, hot damn). She’s minding her own business having a cheeky perv and considering asking April which gym she goes to when she sees it.

The mark.

Oh no, not just any mark. The mark on clothing that every person who was menstruating feared. The fear that made people ask “am I good?” when pointing at the back of their clothing. The fear that made it socially acceptable to have a friend check out your arse in public and give you a thumbs up like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

The dreaded blood stain.

Sterling stands there gaping like a fish, trying to find her voice because oh no, that was not ok. Nobody deserved to experience the ridicule and laughter that would come. Not even April deserved that.

But April is fast. She’s out the door before Sterling can say anything. In a panic, Sterling throws her bag over her shoulder and runs after her, knocking into her desk and bashing into the door in the process.

Mental note – definitely learn how to control limbs.

“Psssst” she manages to hiss out as she trails an inch behind April. But of course April is in her own world (or ignoring her it was hard to tell).

Sterling still needs to protect her though even if April won’t acknowledge her existence.

That’s how she finds herself following April through the twisting halls of Willingham, turning her body and stretching her arms strategically whenever they came close to a group of students. When they reach the Fellowship room, April stops abruptly and spins around. Sterling is not expecting the move and slams into April.

“Why are you following me?” April snaps out, her hands out to both steady Sterling and keep space between them.

Once again, Sterling is left gaping and repeatedly saying “um, well, um” like a broken record.

“Words” April says, clicking her fingers. “Use your words Sterling.”

That would be the most logical thing to do of course. Using words tends to be the most effective mode of communication.

“Blood” she splutters out. Smooth. Very smooth, good choice of words. “You have blood on the back of your skirt” she finishes in a whisper, struggling to make eye contact.

April’s eyes widen in shock as red creeps up her neck and fills her cheeks.

Everything in April’s life had been so hectic in the last couple of weeks that days had blurred together and everything had gone haywire. But she was four days early. She was not prepared (mentally or physically). April is stuck, gaping and staring past Sterling, unable to make eye contact because this is definitely in the top ten of _April’s Most Embarrassing Moments._

Sensing the fear and embarrassment, Sterling piped up “we both have free period now, want me to drive you home so you can get a clean uniform? Or, like, I have a spare skirt in my locker but I definitely dropped a Nutella doughnut on it so it’s a little bit nasty.”

“Mother is out and took my set of house keys with her, she left hers at the Country Club and threw daddy’s into the lake.” April murmured, as she seriously considered accepting Sterling’s offer of a Nutella stained skirt.

“I mean, I could always, I dunno, my parents are at work I could always take you to mine and we could wash your skirt and come back after lunch break?” Sterling offered, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear and bouncing on her toes. This was definitely not how she expected her day to go. She did not expect to be inviting April over to take off her skirt and wash it. It had been years since April had even step foot inside the Wesley household, now she was being invited there to undress and do some washing? Definitely not planned.

“What if somebody sees us leaving?” April questions. “We’re not meant to leave school grounds during the day.”

Sterling considers this for a moment, pursing her lips while she formulates a way around this situation.

“Taking clothes to the homeless shelter!” Sterling offers. “I have a bag of clothes in the back of my car I’ve been meaning to drop off, we could do that on the way back and if anybody asks we can say it was to do that.”

“I have been considering what we could do with Fellowship for community service, a clothing drive is a reasonable and manageable idea.”

“All righty then problem solved!” Sterling agrees, pulling her jumper from her bag and handing it to April who only stares at it in question. “To tie around your waist.”

Wordlessly, April accepts the offering and quickly ties the garment around her waist. “Lead the way”.

~*~

April is standing awkwardly with her back against the wall while Sterling murmurs to herself and flings through a pile of clothes on her floor.

“I’ve got some pants somewhere” she says, discarding yet another t-shirt halfway across the room. “Eureka!’ she exclaims, obviously very pleased with herself as she pulls a pair of bright pink pyjama pants from the floordrobe. It’s at that moment that Sterling realises that April will also need to remove and wash her underwear, not just her skirt.

Which means that Sterling will need to lend April a pair of underwear.

Oh shoot.

“I’ll leave these here” she says as calmly as possible, dumping the pants onto her thankfully made bed. Sterling makes her way over to her chest of drawers and opens up the top drawer. She dips her hand in and without thinking pulls out the first undergarment her hand lands on.

Which happens to be a black pair with a little bit of lace at the top.

(They were on sale, practical, and totally cute, why wouldn’t she buy them?)

Without giving herself an opportunity to feel anything at all, she places the underwear on top of the pants and steps out the door.

“I’ll leave you to get changed” she says. “Sanitary items are in the bathroom, top drawer on my side, help yourself” Sterling explains, pointing to the shared ensuite. “I’ll um, I’ll get the washing machine set up so you just pop your stuff in and press start. Do you remember where the laundry is?”

“Two doors down” April responds, trying not to give in to Sterling’s increasing panic.

“Cool, noice, toit. 10/10 memory.” Sterling honest to god shoots April some tacky finger guns as she backs out of the door “I’ll just wait downstairs.”

~*~

April throws her clothing into the washing machine and reads the box of the washing powder. She had sensitive skin, checking the brand and any scent additives of all products was drilled into her brain.

Lemongrass, a delightful addition to any product in April’s opinion.

She makes her way downstairs and finds Sterling sitting at the kitchen bench, almost inhaling the sandwich on her plate.

“Thanks” April says shortly, feeling more than a little bit awkward standing in a kitchen she hasn’t stepped foot in since she was pre-pubescent.

“No worries” Sterling responds in a mumble, her mouth full of food. “Want something to eat?”

“No thanks” April replies, taking the seat next to Sterling. “I’m not hungry”.

Sterling scoffs and slides a plate over to April. “Eat something, your insides are being torn to shreds, gotta stay nourished and hydrated.”

She can’t argue with that logic.

~*~

Two minutes left on the drier.

Two minutes left and they honestly couldn’t go fast enough. They had long since worked through all typical conversation topics – weather, the political climate, upcoming assignments. For the last twenty minutes they had both been sitting stiffly next to each other, scrolling through their phones.

April jumps up at the chime of the drier cycle finishing. She hastily changes and is putting the lent clothing into the washing machine when she hears Sterling calling from the other side of the closed laundry door.

“Don’t worry about that” she says “I’ll do the washing later, I’ve got a load to put on anyway”.

It’s at that moment that April realises that the washing basket is almost over flowing with clothes. Her mother would never allow that to happen. For a brief moment April lets herself imagine what it would be like to live in a household that wasn’t so controlling. Sure, the Wesley’s had rules and order to their home – but the twins were allowed to be teenagers. April even heard that Mrs Wesley had forgiven Sterling for getting drunk at a college party.

Such a thing would never be forgiven in her household. She would probably be sent to an interstate boarding school for such an act. 

Come to think of it, going to an interstate boarding school wouldn’t be that bad. Especially after today. She’s sure that despite Sterling’s best efforts to block everybody from seeing the back of her skirt, that at least a dozen people saw, which meant that the entire school would know.

Which shouldn’t be an embarrassing thing, April knows that, periods are a normal part of life and nothing to be ashamed of. But that wouldn’t stop the sniggers and giggles.

She sits stiffly in the passenger seat as Sterling drives them back to school, not listening to her constant babbling.

They’re about to part ways down the hall when April is bumped into by another student, preoccupied with their phone.

“Watch where you’re going” she says to them “maybe if you actually looked where you were walking you wouldn’t bump into people.”

They roll their eyes and smile “sorry April, don’t want to get on your bad side this week.”

Honest to God, April was going to say something smart and snarky in return.

It’s just that Sterling beat her to it.

Sterling steps into the other student’s personal space and smiles sweetly at them. “I hope you have a tampon on you, because if you don’t apologise right now and swear to never make a joke out of menstruation again, I will break your nose.” She tilts her head to the side while she firmly grips their bicep and adds “of course the tampon will be for your nose to stop it from bleeding. Multi purpose.”

“Wow, ok, I’m sorry.”

April doesn’t usually let other people fight her battles, but she nods a thanks to Sterling before turning on her heel and speed walking to her next class.

Maybe she wouldn’t have to entertain the idea of boarding school after all, not with Sterling Wesley finally finding a backbone.


End file.
